


A Rose’s Truth

by sapphicrubyy



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, raven is there, ruby and summer, ruby breaks down, ruby has repressed memories, summer’s death, yang comforts ruby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:43:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27191237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicrubyy/pseuds/sapphicrubyy
Summary: Ruby uses the last question. But what if some things are better left locked away?
Kudos: 22





	A Rose’s Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Since volume 8 is coming soon and the trailer is out now, this is my idea of how summer may have died. Set in a timeline after they get the lamp back from Salem.

Ruby held the lamp. It only had one question left. She sighed in contemplation. “Jinn!” Blue smoke formed as a beautiful woman took it’s shape. “What knowledge do you seek?” Jinn answered. “You can answer any question, right?” “As long as it has happened, yes.” Ruby braced herself. “Then, I want to know... what happened to my mother?”  
Ruby could feel the intense wave washing over the room. “Ruby?” Yang questioned, but was cut off as a cloud of blue smoke covered everything.

Yang watched as the smoke formed to show her, Ruby and Summer. They were there eating Summer’s legendary cookies. Ruby exclaimed, “Your cookies are the best, mum!” Summer smiled back softly. “You know what the secret ingredient is?” Ruby cocked her head and Yang looked up. “Love for my precious little girls.” Yang felt a pang in her chest. Summer wasn’t her biological mum, but she was more like a parent than her real mum had ever been.

She saw as Summer embraces them both. It was then that Tai walked in. “It’s getting a bit late. Don’t you think it’s time you two got to bed?” “Your dad’s right. Yang, help Ruby to bed?” “Yes, mum” Yang gave a bright, sunny smile before leaving with Ruby. As Summer and Tai watched them leave, Yang knew that this was probably the last time they were a happy family together.

The smoke shifted once again. Qrow walked closer to see Summer in the living room. She walked over and picked up her weapon: a big red and white coloured scythe. Seeing Summer again, he couldn’t help thinking how much Ruby was like her. After putting on her hood, Summer took a pen and paper from out the drawer. She appeared to be writing a note, but she then left out the front door.  
Qrow walked over and became saddened as he read it. ‘I’ll be out for a while. Look after Ruby and Yang until I get back.’ “But she never came back.” 

He heard someone coming. Tai walked in, carrying a tray with a cup of tea on it. “Hey, I made you some tea.” He said before looking up, seeing that no one was there. In shock, he dropped the tray and ran towards the note. “Tai..”

Summer is seen walking through a dark forest. Suddenly Grimm we’re surrounding her. Weiss was worried for her. However, Summer made quick work of them, slicing through like they were nothing. ‘So she’s.. Ruby’s mum.’ Weiss thought. You could tell she was strong. It was hard to believe anything was capable of taking her down. 

Nearby, Blake watched as Summer stopped at a pool of blackness. Blake guesses that it could only be one thing. “The pools of blackness.” “Salem.” Blake’s train of thought was cut as she heard Summer’s unwavering voice.

Blake had heard what Salem told Ruby. She knew what was coming. “You came alone? What do you hope to accomplish?” Her menacing voice was enough to scare anyone but Summer stood tall. “I know that you can’t be killed. But I also know that you can fail. I don’t have to kill you to stop you, and I will stop you.” Blake had heard those words before, not long ago. Her ears drooped as she couldn’t help the sinking feeling overcoming her.

Ruby looked on as she heard those words come from her mouth. ‘What if I’m no different? If she couldn’t stop Salem, what hope do I have?’ Ruby thought glumly. Her mother was staring down Salem, just as fearless as in all those stories she’d been told. But this time she wasn’t excited for the ending, no. She was scared. 

“Mum?” A small voice was heard. Ruby couldn’t move. For there she was, a smaller version of herself. “What?” Her head was spinning, trying to recount this event, but she came up blank. 

“Mum! What is... this place?” She asked, confused. Summer looked horrified. “Ruby? What are you doing here?” “Well, I saw you leave.. so I followed you.” The young Ruby’s eyes looked up to the being of destruction. “Mum, who is she?” Salem, taking a closer look at the little girl, only stated, “You... have silver eyes.”

Summer, fearing the worst, kneeled down to Ruby. “Ruby, go back home now. I’ll be right behind you.” “Mum..?” “I promise” She gave a sweet smile that could have been a lie. The smaller Ruby turned to go but a waterfall of blackness blocked the exit. “I can’t have anyone getting in my way.” Salem aimed for Ruby. However, Summer slashed the Grimm tentacle away. 

Ruby was too young to know how her mother fought. She had only been told how great a fighter she was. In this moment, she could see all those stories were true. Summer was slashing everything that came their way. However, the more it went on, the more it became a dodging game, the stronger being clear. As the battle rages on, Summer misses a strike. “Mum!” The little Ruby yells, running as fast as she can, just in time to push Summer out of the way. Barely escaping certain death, Summer looks lovingly at her daughter, her guard down for the split second that mattered.

At that moment, the older Ruby watched as a dark red sphere materialised. By the looks of it she would say it was a portal. However, she has no time to think as she notices Salem aim a shot at her younger self. The little Ruby, with no time to do anything, covers her arms over her body, awaiting the blow. But it never came. 

Watching in horror, the older Ruby had seen her mother throw her body in the way to block the attack. The Grimm spikes went right through Summer, no doubt fatal. Underneath, Ruby’s eyes widened. Summer looked down sadly, in defeat. At the same time, Raven stepped through the portal, not prepared for what she saw. Her teammate was on death’s door. ‘Damn. If I had got here sooner...’ But it was too late. 

“Ruby”, a cracked voice stated. Ruby couldn’t believe her eyes. This couldn’t be real. She wouldn’t just forget something as big as this, right? Was it her fault? Mirroring what she felt, the little Ruby stared at Summer in fear. “You’re going to be ok, right?” “Ruby. Listen to me. ...Please don’t make this mistake. Don’t do what I did. I don’t want you... to waste your life in vain.” 

Raven looks between her bloody teammate and the little girl in horror. How could this happen? How did Ruby even get here? Why did Summer have to go off alone? 

Summer’s eyes started to fade, the spark that always shone starting to disappear. The young Ruby didn’t want to acknowledge it, that her mother was dying right in front of her. Because of her. But then she felt her mum slump on her. “M-mum?” She asked, hopefully. But she knew there was no point. She was gone. 

As realisation hit her, everything faded to black. A scream tore from her throat and she felt like her whole world was evaporating. 

Ruby watched herself scream as a light shone from her eyes. It encased the whole space, along with that deafening scream. It must have been too much for her as she passed out once it was over. “What?!” Ruby wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the rest. 

Raven, gathering herself as much as she can, runs over to the unconscious girl and picked her up. She took her through the portal, only looking back at the deadly scene one last time. ‘She’s gone. She’s never coming back. My teammate. My... friend.’ Raven thought sadly. 

Raven snuck around the back of the quiet house. Silently sneaking into the girls’ room, she tucks Ruby into bed, like she never left. With a sad glance at the sleeping child, Raven turned away and flew out the window. Ruby watched her sleeping form in anguish, as the scene was covered by the blue smoke. 

Now back from Jinn’s vision, everyone seems to be in a state of despair, but none like Ruby. Silent tears fell down. How could she live with herself knowing she was the cause of her mother’s death. ‘This is all my fault.’ 

Yang was feeling dejected as well after seeing all that, but she could read her sister’s face. She knew Ruby had been having a hard time lately but now? She’s only going to blame herself even more. “Ruby. It’s not your fault.” “How can you say that?! If I wasn’t there, she wouldn’t have to protect me. She could still be here today, Yang!” Tears of pain continued to flow down her cheeks. “It’s all my fault.” She quietly whispered. 

Before she could say anymore, Yang brought her into a comforting hug. “Stop. You know she wouldn’t want this. You keep hurting yourself. Blaming yourself. But what about the people who care about you?” Ruby’s eyes widened at Yang’s words, before finally wrapping her arms around her. “Yang..”


End file.
